


Alliance

by accelsynchros (shinygio)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Building Relationship, M/M, Speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 01:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14631672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinygio/pseuds/accelsynchros
Summary: Spectre helps Takeru with coding. Takeru helps Spectre with something else.





	Alliance

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I saw a fanart of them making out and this happened after a 7 hour trip in which I dedicated myself to think non-stop about Vrains and I can't wait for my headcanons to be proved wrong next week!  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this.  
> Translation to Chinese done by brknz3r0 (;; thank you so much for doing this): goodatyugioh.lofter.com/post/1f31a38f_12ddb7ef

Their first meeting was awkward, and even that might be an understatement.

Spectre’s cold eyes regarded Takeru with indifference. Fake smile painted carefully on his lips, as Revolver ( _Ryoken_ , he had insisted) and Yusaku talked out all the beef they had between each other. Things Takeru knew all too well and didn’t want to involve himself with. It seemed like Spectre knew everything about it too, if the disdain on his expression as Playmaker held hands with Revolver was anything to go by.

Takeru hoped his VR avatar concealed some of the nervous energy he was feeling the moment he held his hand out for the other to take: “We’re allies from now on. You can call me Takeru.”

Spectre’s stare sharpens just the slightest bit, taking Soulburner’s hand in a loose grip. Pale skin against rugged, fingerless gloves. Fiery red against pure white. Takeru wonders how different they can really be when the same past is behind them.

“So it seems, Takeru-san.” The polite speech does nothing to cover Spectre’s less than positive light on him. But Takeru is done shutting inside himself when faced with hardships, so he bucks up and tightens his own grip on Spectre’s thin hand, then shakes it:

“Please take care of me.”

 

* * *

 

The Earth Ignis is a comforting, quiet presence. He gets along well with Flame, listens to his antics and chuckles at his obnoxious jokes. Takeru smiles warmly at the talking Ignises, hides his laughter the moment Ai intervenes and makes the situation even more ridiculous than it was. Yusaku sighs, concentrating on the task he has at hand but Takeru doesn’t miss the soft curl of his lips. He’s still no good at open appreciation, but he’s slowly changing. Takeru is glad.

“Homura?” Ryoken’s voice calls to him and he turns around fast, an embarrassed blush on his face. He apologizes for being distracted but Ryoken’s calm demeanor does not change. Instead, he stares at the long strings of code in front of them: “Is it possible that my explanation is too difficult to understand?”

And Takeru would like to say no. Tell him it’s fine, that he gets it because Ryoken kindly offered to teach him the various perks of coding and programming. But he cannot fricking make sense of the various numbers and signs on the screen and Ryoken’s words confuse him, technicisms mixing up with the basic, almost nonexistent knowledge he has on the subject. He can notice Ryoken’s own struggle too, since messing with programs is most likely a second nature for him, as much as it is to Yusaku. The easier it feels, the more complicated it is to explain. Takeru gets it, and he feels kinda guilty for forcing this situation in a way. If he had asked Flame to teach him beforehand, maybe this wouldn’t-

“Revolver-sama, may I offer my assistance? I am sure I can beat it into Takeru-san with no problem, so you don’t have to overwork yourself.” Spectre’s voice is justa a bit shy of threatening and Takeru gulps. His claim of beating the information into him was a joke…right? He’s aware of Spectre’s weird sense of humor, but his tone was too serious, and he can’t help but feel a little attacked right now.

Ryoken seems to be really considering his underling’s idea, Takeru looks away from them in a poor attempt to calm himself down and he unconsciously looks at Flame. That small part of him is still pleasingly conversing with Spectre’s own. The sight gives him courage, it pushes Takeru into taking a decision:

“If it isn’t a bother for you, Spectre-san” He bows his head and feels Yusaku’s gaze boring into the back of his head. Takeru lifts his gaze and Spectre’s shocked expression fills him with fire, _so he wasn’t expecting him to actually accept_. Well, Takeru wasn’t the kind to let himself be pushed around anymore. He was taking this challenge. “I would be very thankful.”

* * *

 

 

Flame was the most excited about their arrangement. Takeru thought it was impossible for his Ignis to shine even more than he already did, but Flame was glowing so much he was starting to get worried about someone pointing it out.

 

_5 pm at Den City’s plaza, don’t be late._

_\- S_

The concise message kept floating around his thoughts even during class, at some point he retorted from carefully writing down notes about the lesson to mindlessly draw lines on his notebook. He was restless. Equal parts eager and afraid of whatever could happen. He was burning up.

The class ended, and he gathered his stuff with stiff movements and walked towards the door. If it wasn’t because of Yusaku following suit, then he would have taken a sprint.

 

“Are you okay?” Yusaku asked as they left the school’s building. Even Ai was curious, eye peeking from Yusaku’s duel disk. Takeru smiled at their concern, it was nice to have friends. He had forgotten how it was to fit with people, it’s been years since he last walked with someone around the city.

“I’m fine.” He says, and he means it. His friends had his back. Even if he didn’t trust Spectre yet, he knew Yusaku and Ai were looking out for him and Flame. They were together in this. “Just a little nervous, I know he doesn’t really like me after all.”

“He only likes ‘Revolver-sama’ and his mommy” Exclaims Ai and Takeru is left in awe at how much mock an AI’s voice can hold. House robots’ voices are plain and kind of creepy, Ignises really are something else. He can see how they take after humans. Understands how frightening that is.

Yusaku doesn’t bother to tell his partner to shut up. Just frowning silently at the thought of the ghostly duelist. Takeru couldn’t imagine how it feels for him to work alongside him, since it’s probably normal for Yusaku to hold some resentment towards Spectre. They did duel to the death at the Hanoi Tower…

He killed Aoi Zaizen. Used her brother in a petty move the moment he started losing.

Takeru sighs, trying to push away the waves of uncertainty. That’s not what matters right now, isn’t it? They are allies this time, Ryoken wants to deal with the Ignises in a way his father and SOL didn’t consider. A full year has come and gone. They are not the same people they were before. Not Ryoken and Spectre, not Yusaku and certainly the same applies to himself. He’s no longer a shut-in, he’s Soulburner and he has a mission to fulfill and other people to help. It’s his time to be a hero.

Yet, he’s still a bundle of anxiety the moment he and Yusaku part ways. He’s going to meet Ryoken and Kusanagi-san at Café Nagi’s, right in front of Stardust Road. While Takeru is going to be tutored by Spectre. He’s going to his apartment. They are going to be alone and it won’t be a nice time, Spectre’s passive-aggressive attitude nagging in the back of his head and consuming him whole. Takeru clutches de strap of his bag with sweaty hands. Glances down at his duel disk in panic, staring at Flame’s eye, nauseous.

The AI stares up at him, and in the quietest tone he can produce says: “Go, Soulburner”

 _Thank you._ Even if he can be painful at times, Flame saved him. Just like Yusaku, Go Onizuka and Aoi Zaizen. Perhaps even more, Takeru wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the AI actively looking for him. Telling him the truth.

He takes the first step forward.

...

“Ah, Takeru-san. You are late.” Says Spectre, casually standing near the flowers. Taking out the dry, dying buttons with his bare hands. His uniform is a pristine white such as the suit his avatar uses in LINK VRAINS. Golden buttons, blue tie and black, polished shoes. He looks like a model student, someone from a private academy for the filthy rich. Takeru feels small even though he has an inch over Spectre.

“It’s just five past the time you set…” Takeru tries and laughs it off. But Spectre ignores him in favor of the plants while his Ignis only blinks, probably communicating with Flame via weird, AI language. _So yeah, still late._ “Okay, I’m sorry. I had some issues earlier…” He can’t tell him he was about to throw up and run far, far away.

“It can’t be helped. Since you’re already here we are going.” And just like that, he caresses a full bloomed button for the last time before taking the lead without looking back. As Takeru follows, he entertains the idea of Spectre doing this every day. Taking care of the plants with a sincere smile on his face, just as he had found him today. And maybe it’s the nature that grounds him, Takeru rationalizes. He gets it, somehow. The calm of the woods, the dancing leaves. The fresh air filling his lungs. Living away from all the noise and invasive technology. It was relaxing. But also lonely.

 

Surely, they can’t be that different.

* * *

 

 

Turns out Spectre’s home was a wide apartment, complete with cozy furniture and decorated walls. There are different plants all around the flat. Everything’s bright and far bigger than Yusaku’s home or his own. Takeru wonders how much money went into this, how much was Kogami’s and how much came from Spectre’s own pocket. Being in a well-known hacker organization sure must pay.  

“You can leave your things here.” Pointing at a fancy coatrack near the entrance, abruptly pulling Takeru out of his silent appreciation.

"Oh, sure. Thanks." He answered, voice clipped and awkward. Hanging his bag on a lone hook to start messing up with the buttons of his school blazer. It was proving to be more difficult than expected, Takeru worried his bottom lip with his teeth.

On the other side, Spectre seemed as collected as ever. Long fingers dexterous in their task, his body moving smoothly. It was strange, seeing the always proper Spectre making himself comfortable. With few, swift moves, he loosened his tie and unfastened the top buttons of his shirt. Takeru thought it was alluring, his eyes following Spectre’s every motion and appreciating the peak of the soft skin of his throat, the way his hair teased the back of his neck and followed the shape of his jaw…

“Takeru-san?” Spectre called him, round eyes meeting his own in expectation. Takeru hurriedly takes off his vest, hangs it in the same hook his bag is and looks away. He was distracted and very much confused. He knew he had a preference for men, has known for a long time, but this is _Spectre_. He was still on thin ice when it came to the other and this was the worst possible time to start thinking with his-

“We should go at once!” Flame’s dramatic voice interrupted him and, man, he’s never been as grateful of his AI’s flamboyant nature ever. “Since this boy’s dueling skills don’t cut him much, it’s imperative that he learns how to read one program at least.” And yes, of course he would throw shade at him.

“Flame, c’mon-“ He starts and is interrupted by a snicker. Spectre’s wide eyes stare at him, a hand smothering his laugh. Takeru breathes out, the mood suddenly lighter than it was just a few minutes ago.  He takes his chance, “Really? It wasn’t that funny.”

Spectre composes himself again, pushing his bangs away from his face, his expression softer than before. More open. Takeru thinks this is probably his real personality, slipping through the cracks of the mask. “I beg to differ, Takeru-san. Your AI is probably the funniest we’ve encountered to date.”

“This human…I like him.” Flame looks more than pleased at Spectre’s approval. These few weeks look difficult for him yet again, but it’s different. This time he might be looking forward to it. Takeru smiles, appeased. He can work with this.  

* * *

 

 

Soon they fall into a schedule.

Every Wednesday and Friday, they’ll meet by the flowers of Den City’s plaza at exactly 5pm. Surprisingly (or not really), Takeru was right about Specter taking care of the flowers in a rather regular pace. Sometimes he would just arrive earlier and observe from afar, look at Spectre carefully inspecting the blossoms and leaves of almost every bush in sight- gentle smile on his face.  

Flame called him a stalker. Takeru didn’t correct him. It was better to be called that than starting to look more into it, that the real reason as to why he liked to stare at Spectre’s smile was…different.

“You’re early today, Takeru-san.” He was always polite, despite everything. But it didn’t make Takeru feel as a stranger anymore. It was somehow charming, how careful Spectre was with his own presentation. “Off we go.”

Their classes were going perfectly. Spectre had a knack for explaining things and Takeru was a good student most of the time, say, when he wasn’t getting lost in the blue of Spectre’s eyes or wondering how his hair would feel in between his fingers. Takeru groaned, he was getting mushy.

“Is something wrong?” Spectre was attentively looking at him now, as they walked together. His Ignis blinking at Takeru with an almost knowing glint to his only eye. He was acting suspicious, wasn’t he?

“Not really…” He said but was aware of how unconvincing the words sounded, even to his own ears. And sure, Spectre raised an eyebrow at him, inspecting him further but not commenting at all. It was enough for Takeru to flush. He was a little (or very) lame, wasn’t he? Flame would chastise him about this little exchange later. “I just have a test tomorrow, I’m a bit nervous…” He said, pleading to whoever was watching him from upstairs that Spectre wouldn’t bring this up to Yusaku at all. Takeru loved his friend, really, but he was dense sometimes and probably wouldn’t go along with his white lie.

Spectre hummed, taking what was said into consideration. They were getting closer to his apartment, that was in the opposite site of town of Takeru’s own. “If you prefer to study for said test then I won’t be stopping you, Takeru-san. You’re advancing on a fast pace after all, you’re better than what you give yourself credit for.”

He blushes again at the compliment and it bothers him. He accommodates his glasses a little more roughly than he was meaning to. “No, it’s fine. We’re seeing something important this week, aren’t we? Yusaku told me…”

They arrive soon, and as Spectre pulls out the keys he nods. “Well, well, Revolver-sama spoiled the fun and told Yusaku-san about it.” He fakes a disappointed expression so well that Takeru would have problems discerning his feelings if he didn’t know how highly the other thought about Ryoken. Spectre would be both, an amazing teacher and an amazing actor. “Come on in, there’s no time to lose.”

...

A few lines of code in, Takeru gasped.

This was…

“The code of the Another Virus?” Takeru looked at Spectre in shock, when Yusaku told him last Wednesday that they were reviewing some S-classified program he wasn’t expecting this.

“Written by Vyra-san, yes.” Spectre commented. “There might be a chance SOL Technologies will use a very similar algorithm to formulate an alternative with the same purpose. Therefore, we need to go through with this and also check the written cure.”

Takeru thinks about Aoi Zaizen, her pained expression. Her ferocious, gambling duel against the mastermind behind the program. Her rise and fall. Aoi disappearing into the Hanoi Tower as nothing more than data: “Don’t you regret having involved innocent people?”

Spectre stays silent for a few seconds. Still serene but thinking carefully of his words. “I could never regret completing a task Revolver-sama trusted me to perform.” The answer comes, and Takeru bristles. Even their AIs seemed to recoil.

“They had nothing to do with all of this! Even if Blue Angel-“

“I especially could never regret hurting that girl. She knew what she was getting into.” The out of character snarl coming out of Spectre was enough to make Takeru shut up. Eyes wide behind his glasses, he wanted to reach but couldn’t. “She took something important to me and twisted it to fit herself. I can’t forgive her as much as she can’t forgive me, I won’t give an apology that I don’t mean and she wouldn’t accept.” And with that, the other hoped to end the conversation and continue. But Takeru was not going to let go, couldn’t let go.

“She’s a neutral card on all this.” He started, looking at Spectre even if his companion was purposely avoiding his gaze. The screen momentarily forgotten. “There’s a possibility that we’ll need her or her information. What will you do then? What do you think _she’ll_ do?”

It’s obvious no one has faced Spectre with this. Cold rage painted clearly on his face until it becomes a terrifying glee: “Duel me again, that’s what she would do. And I would win, because this time I wouldn’t go easy on her.” He answers, cutting edge almost tangible on his voice. Takeru feels as if he was just hit. “I’m almost looking forward to play again.”

It’s useless. This is their fight and not his. This is their rivalry, as complicated as it stands.

He turns his gaze back to the code and reads.

* * *

 

 

“That boy…He’s lonely.” Flame talks to him that night when he tries to sleep. Takeru doesn’t turn around, his AI can sense he’s awake and hearing. “My brother has told me about the blue tears of Blue Angel.”

Takeru curls into himself. He doesn’t want to listen, doesn’t want to involve himself further when he was not invited.

“Revolver saved him once. He gave him a purpose, and for that the boy gave him undying loyalty and made it his mission to defeat what Revolver thinks of as evil.” Takeru raised himself, staring at the red glow in the darkness. Flame was sitting atop his duel disk, as solemn as an AI can look.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because the Earth Ignis thinks you’re helping.” He answers, standing this time and pointing a small hand at Takeru, who struggled to make out the shape of his friend without his glasses. “He’s told me that boy looks happier. Healthier, since you started visiting.”

Takeru takes the information like a truck. Stares at his hands in the dark, red light making it obvious that he’s almost shaking in pure disbelief: “What does that even mean?”

“He’s starting to feel just like what he is, a boy. Instead of Revolver’s tool.” Flame says, laying atop the duel disk he’s locked into and Takeru’s teeth grate. His heart going crazy with adrenaline and _something else._ He could explode, start a fire. “You’re getting closer, Soulburner.”

* * *

 

 He talks to Yusaku first.

 

“What does Ryoken think about Spectre?” Not subtle at all, but that’s exactly what Yusaku likes when interacting with others. His friend looks at him as if he just grew another head, but Takeru can handle the embarrassment if it’s him. Yusaku rolls his pencil into his hand, ignoring the class and at some point Takeru believes he won’t answer at all until: “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Takeru wanted to tear out his hair in frustration.

“I can’t talk to him as easily as you- C’mon…Has he ever mentioned him or something?” If he was doing this, whatever it was, then he needed to know what Spectre meant to Ryoken.

Yusaku starts to note down some of the dates on the board. Stares down at them hard, suddenly Takeru remembers Yusaku’s weakest subject is World History. So he doesn’t want to press him into answering him when Yusaku was supposed to pay attention.

“Why do you need to know?” His friends neutral tone asks. And Takeru looks at his duel disk in a very desperate attempt to get an answer out of Ai but unlike, basically _always_ , the AI’s on sleep mode. Ignorant to poor Takeru’s problem.

“I just…want to know. Please, Yusaku?”

Then Yusaku looks at him, right in the eye and says: “Ryoken thinks Spectre is a friend. I don’t understand why you felt the need to ask me something obvious.” And goes back to his notes.

Ahh, Takeru can see how Ai takes after Yusaku but he wouldn’t dare tell him.

* * *

 

“Do you want to…grab some coffee before we go to your place?” Takeru is so nervous it’s actually a wonder Spectre hasn’t teased him about it yet. Considering his sadistic tendencies and all. Maybe he enjoys watching him squirm and overthink all by himself.

Either way, Spectre looks somewhat surprised by the question. “There’s coffee in my house if that’s what you want, Takeru-san.”

“That’s…not what I meant, really.” Asking out someone is a conflicting task this hero is attempting to realize…

“Then what is it you meant, Takeru-san?” But Spectre’s calculating gaze is leaving him out of ideas. _Flame is going to burn this into him forever._ The knot on his throat is growing steadily the more those deep, perfect blue eyes stare down at him. It’s criminal, the handsome way Spectre’s face contorts into a smile. “If you don’t tell me clearly then I don’t think I can help you.”

 Is it possible that he knows? If Takeru knows about Spectre thanks to Flame, then what if Spectre is aware of his feelings due to his own Ignis’ intervention? _What if Takeru was obvious from the beginning._ He was going to pass out.

“Go on a date with me!” He says and it’s so loud all the passersby stare. And Spectre does that awful snort of his. And Flame blinks up at him, letdown at how totally uncool that was. _C’mon, Soulburner._

“If you insist.” Spectre says and for a moment Takeru is…really gaping at him because that was terrible. But the smile on Spectre’s lips was the one he gave the trees around the plaza and did funny things to his poor heart. He was not prepared for Spectre’s fingers tangling with his own, and much less his lips barely scraping the corner of his mouth:

“I thought you would ask sooner.”


End file.
